P.E.I. cheddar wins American award

An old-fashioned P.E.I. cheese has taken second place at the prestigious American Cheese Society conference in Chicago.

Avonlea Clothbound cheddar is made by the Cows company, which is better known for its ice cream.

One of the judges referred to the cheese as "having a terroir of fresh, unwashed potatoes near the cloth and mashed potatoes in the paste."

Armand Bernard, the cheese maker for Cows, told CBC News Wednesday he's not sure what to make of that description, but he says wrapping the cheese in cloth before aging it does give it a distinct flavour.

"It helps develop a rind on the cheese. And it brings a really unique flavour more from the outside in, I guess is how I would describe it," said Bernard.

"The cheese is really creamy and maybe cleaner on the inside, but as you get closer to the end, closer to the rind, the taste changes."

Bernard described the flavour near the rind as musty. He hopes winning second place at the American conference should help spread the Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar name.

The cheese is not widely available, but can be purchased at the Charlottetown Farmers Market and at Pete's Frootique in Halifax.